Audit work...

Londina

Would you take full audit work to do if your manager suggest it?

I don't have a clue about audit and to be honest I'm not even interested on it, but what can I do if at work they want me to learn and do it?:thumbdown:

Barry

Why don't you give your job up then and let someone who would give there right arm for it have a go.

Sorry Londina but get a grip! You sound totally ungrateful.

uknitty

If it isn't an area that interests you then it is probably not worth pursuing it because you won't get much out the experience and that may show with the client. This would probably create more of a negative impression with your employer than just saying that "thanks for the opportunity but I am not sure it is right for me"

It's OK to be interested in some things and not in others - you can't possible pursue every single area of the accounting profession. If you have your heart set on a different direction then explain this to your managers - if they are looking to offer you new or additional responsibilities then they must have a motivation behind this. Best thing to do in my opinion is to sit down with a manager you get on with and have a chat about how you see your career progressing and how they see your career progressing so that you can reach a common ground and move forward together.

Monsoon

Ace post by uknitty

Barry wrote: »

Why don't you give your job up then and let someone who would give there right arm for it have a go.

Sorry Londina but get a grip! You sound totally ungrateful.

I don't think that's a fair comment.

There are a number of aspects to accountancy, of which audit is just one. Tax is another. Management accounts is another. They are practically worlds apart.

Different people 'click' with different aspects of the job. Me, I love tax and wouldn't touch audit or management accounts with the proverbial bargepole. If someone's strengths and interests lie in one area of a job, it doesn't make sense to force them down a different route where dislike or indifference may impact their job satisfaction and indeed productivity.

Londina, it might be worth giving audit a go, as you have the opportunity and as you say, you don't really know anything about it, so you never know, you might enjoy it. However, I would be fully open with your boss and say similar to what you've said here - in that you don't think it's the right area for you, but as you've not tried it before you'd be happy to give it a go. Don't let yourself be swayed down a route you won't like, if once having tried it you really don't like it. When talking to your boss, make sure you emphasise what you do like and are good at as well.

As an employer, I would want my employees to be honest with me about really disliking and/or struggling with a certain aspect of their work, and then work with them to find the right solution to that, which was right for their personal development, job satisfaction and the business.

Londina

If someone's strengths and interests lie in one area of a job, it doesn't make sense to force them down a different route where dislike or indifference may impact their job satisfaction and indeed productivity.

Many thanks Monsoon and Uknitty for your replies, you have perfectly understood my position, I don't have an interest in audit, I would prefer getting more into taxation for example than that.
I will give it a go anyway and see how it goes, hopefully I won't be stuck with it as I have interests in other accounting areas and audit is not a big chunk anyway in our qualification.

Barry, you should be the one to get a grip! What a pathetic comment!

Steve Collings

A common misconception with audit is that it's all ticking and bashing (this is exactly how I used to think). Whilst there is an element of this, if you do the audit from start (planning) to finish (completion) what you find is that there's a whole host of accounting skills needed such as analytical skills, interpretation, decision-making etc. Auditing a client is a really good way of properly understanding your client which can also be passed on to other clients and you find that your auditing experience can help on non-audit assignments.

I think you should give it a go and see what you think. Auditing isn't for everyone as Monsoon and UKNitty have advocated, but then again I stay away from areas like management accounting and certain taxes like IHT/CGT etc. The world of accountancy is vast, but you soon realise what you like and what you don't.

Good luck
Steve

uknitty

After AAT I want to progress in to a trainee audit route

I'm incredibly inquisitive and love meeting people and from the (very, actually make that extremely) limited experience I have of working on a live audit I found that I really enjoyed getting to learn about the ways that a client's business operates.

Londina - if you are absolutely certain that this isn't the right role for you then it isn't the right role for you , that's OK. Just be certain that you have no interest in this area of work before you completely dismiss it.

I think there is a great opportunity here - and whilst I don't agree with the manner in which Barry put his point across, there is something to be said for the fact that there may be someone chomping at the bit for the opportunity to move in to audit who would really get something out of the secondment. If you are certain you don't want to explore this route, perhaps you could give someone else a shot at it and ask your employer if there is any scope for you to gain additional experience in taxation (which is what you want to do right ?)

deanshepherd

A common misconception amongst auditors is that it isn't all ticking and bashing..

jamesm96

Steve's comment is absolutely right, enjoyment of audit does depend on your level of involvement. If you're the audit junior and you're just given all of the 'menial' tasks like doing the debtors cash after date tests and the supplier statements reconciliations... etc then yeah, it is sinfully boring. (I'm the audit manager at the firm I'm employed at, by the way).

But if you're involved a bit more high-level and get involved in both the planning and review stages then, though still hardly rock 'n' roll, it is much more engaging and it does significantly help your commercial awareness.

I must admit, I'm still not a big fan of auditing, there are other things I'd rather be doing, but it is very good experience to get; it can't hurt to give it a go!

uknitty

I must be super strange then because the only real audit experience I have had has been all the really exciting ticking and reconcilliation work - and I really enjoyed it :blushing:

groundy

I was in a similar situation many years ago. I had worked my way up from junior to Audit senior but was also looking after a small amount of non audit clients at manager level. I did not enjoy audit and so I sat down with a manager I got on well with and explained that I would rather concentrate on non audit work and would like to increase my manager portfolio of non audit clients.

The partners were very understanding and I was given a full managerial role of non audit clients taking on some of a collegues clients. That collegue took over my audits and we were both happy. Having the management role gave mne great experience prior to starting my own practice, whereas Audit I feel is best if you want to be improving your career within a large accountants practice.

That said I think the partners were happy for me to do this as I had already shown an ability to work well within a certain department of the firm. If you are more interested in tax then maybe there is some way of expressing this to your employers.

PS

Have to agree with Deanshepherd:001_smile:

Gill Gittings

deanshepherd wrote: »

A common misconception amongst auditors is that it isn't all ticking and bashing..

No I don't agree with this either! I currently work as an audit manager in a medium sized firm handling about 20 audits and I really enjoy the challenge it brings. Audit is like management accounts though you either like it or dislike it. I can honestly say that it is not all ticking and bashing but definately at senior manager level more analytical and interpretation. I particularly enjoy the complex audits such as group audits when you get to work with other firms of auditors. My ambition is to get to audit partner after I have fulfilled all the ACCA practicing requirements.